


A secret that will change everything

by TheFeffe00



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-02 10:28:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5244881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFeffe00/pseuds/TheFeffe00
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after 3A.<br/>What would happen if Henry and Emma could go back in the Enchanted Forest with the others?<br/>And if  someone has a secret that if discovered could change many things in the lives of said people?</p><p>Endgame SwanQueen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction and the first that I write in English, for this reason I want to thank very much my beta Nighttimeroaming.
> 
> For this fan fiction I have in mind to rewrite season 3B, so I will use part of the episodes as you'll see in the first couple of chapters. I need the first episode to set the background it might seems a little slow but I'll do my best to write something you will enjoy.

The green smoke was approaching and they were standing under the town clock, waiting to be ripped away from Storybrooke and taken back to the Enchanted Forest.

David was hugging Snow tightly, Emma was holding Henry, Neal put one hand on Emma’s shoulder and the other one on Henry’s. Hook was watching them - jealousy in his eyes - while Belle and Leroy were just standing there. Everyone’s eyes pointed towards Regina, who was ripping the curse’s scroll, her hands were glowing with a purple light. She raised her arms towards the green smoke while light beams from her hands turned the green smoke purple until they were all surrounded by it.

It was just the blink of an eye and, when the smoke dissipated, they weren’t standing in Storybrooke anymore. There were trees all around them, their clothes were different now - the same as they were wearing the night that the curse first took them - even Emma and Henry where wearing different outfits. 

Emma was wearing tight, black leather trousers and a white, cotton shirt under a dark green waistcoat, fastened with a black leather belt. On her hands were fine leather gloves and leather boots adorned her feet.

Henry wore a brown surcoat, knee-length over a white cotton tunic. The surcoat was fastened at the waist with a dark brown, leather belt. Dark brown, silk trousers covered his legs and on his feet were a pair of brown leather boots.  
“This is it? The Enchanted Forest? We’re here?” Henry asked, excited.

“Yes kid, we’re back.” David answered him, a smile on his face.

In front of them, picnicking under a porch, there were two people whom Snow and Emma immediately recognised to be prince Philip and princess Aurora.

“Snow, Emma, you’re back!” Aurora shouted as soon as she saw them.

“Aurora!” the two women shouted back, approaching the other woman and as soon as they were in reach they hugged each other. 

Later, Aurora and Phillip informed the ex-Storybrooke citizens about all that had happened in the Enchanted Forest whilst they were away, they told them that the Ogres had been defeated and that they were currently restoring the kingdoms and their lives. That is when David suggested they go back to their castle. 

“Our castle was destroyed in the curse,” Snow said.

“Well-played, Your Majesty, you laid waste to everything,” Hook intervened with his brazen tone, while Regina sighed, glaring at him, the same as the glare Emma gave him. 

“Not everything. Her castle still stands,” Aurora said, quickly. 

“Of course it does. I protected it,” Regina replied, knowingly. 

“Well, technically, the castle doesn’t belong to her. It was Snow’s before she took it,” asserted David.

“Well, to be fair, I married into it.” The Queen pointed out.

“That you did. And now we're taking it back... And you are coming with us” Snow stated. 

“You can't be serious,” scoffed Regina. 

“Regina, everyone out there is scared and confused. They need hope. What better way to do that than to return united? You're coming with us. I know you don't like it. You'll learn to, for our good...for yours,” Snow finished.

“I don’t want Henry to camp in the woods,” Emma said while Regina looked at her, then at Henry, who was with the rest of the people that had appeared there with them, talking happily with Neal. 

“We need to go to your castle, Regina, together. If you don’t want to agree with what Mary-Margaret said than do it for Henry, you’re his mother as much as I am and he’d want you to come with us. ” 

Regina stared at Emma for a while and then replied, “Ok, Miss Swan, let’s go then,” and after saying goodbye to Aurora and Philip and preparing their things, they started their journey to the Evil Queen’s castle.

“Are you ok?” Snow asked Emma. She was worried because she knew that the blonde would have preferred to remain in the world she had known all her life, her home as she called it. Their previous experiences in the Enchanted Forest and Neverland had made it very clear to Snow that Emma didn’t want Henry to live the life that the blonde would have if the curse was never cast, that was obvious, especially after their adventure through Jefferson’s hat. Since then, every time anybody mentioned the possibility of going back to the Enchanted Forest, Emma was reluctant to accept it. Even after Snow and David mentioned their plan to use Anton’s magic beans to go back to the place they were all from. 

“Yes, I’m fine. What about you? You’ve grown your hair back? How’s that possible?” Emma replied to her mother, hoping she wouldn’t ask anything else if she heard what she wanted to hear, and she even tried to change subject. But of course Emma was wrong. Snow knew her pretty well, having been her roommate, her best friend and then her mother. 

“I don't know how or why my hair has grown back... I guess that we come back the way we left… even our clothes are the same. And don’t try to change subject” Snow replied with a sigh to her daughter, just to take that out of the way and continue onto the more serious subject “I know you’re not fine, what’s wrong?” She continued, worry in her tone.

Emma let out a sigh. “It’s just surreal to be here with everybody, with Henry, and we’re here to stay. We don’t have to find a way to go back to Storybrooke… we don’t even have to be worried about the Ogres anymore.”

“Yes, we’re finally going to live the life we were supposed to. You’re going to find your happy ending, Emma,” Snow’s eyes were glowing with happiness, her voice full of hope, “and you and your True Love are going to finally be together,” she finished, glancing at Neal who was behind them, talking with Belle, about Rumple no doubt. 

Apparently, since he was alive and free it was assumed that Emma and him would be together and, with Henry, be a happy family, but there was something Snow didn’t know and that something was that Emma had absolutely no intention of getting back together with Neal. After all, he had broken her heart and, yes, he apologised for that, but now it was too late for them to be together. Yes, he was still her son’s father and she loved him as a friend and as family, but she didn’t love him as a lover. Not after what happened in Neverland.

Emma gazed at Regina, who was talking happily with Henry about her castle - well, _their_ castle - it was strange for Emma to think that they were going to live together: her parents, Henry, Regina and herself all under the same roof. That thought made Emma incredibly happy and nervous and scared all at once – yeah, what happened in Neverland had definitively changed things for Emma.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guys since it seems I’m ahead of schedule, I’ve decided to give you a present and publish the second chapter already.  
> As always thanks to my beta Nighttimeroaming and I hope you enjoy the reading.

“So mum… This is the way you used to dress?” Henry asked Regina while they were headed to her castle with the others. 

“Yes, Henry, something wrong with it?”

“No, it’s just that I used to see you like this only in my book… Seeing you now, it’s just strange,” Henry said, with a perplexed expression in his face. 

“Does seeing me like this bother you? Do you think I might become the Evil Queen again?” She asked him.

“No, I know you’re changing. That you’re trying to be good,” he replied, radiant, “It’s strange to see _everybody_ dressed like this… Guess I just need time to get used to it,” Henry finished with a smile.

“I guess you do, especially since we’re going to live in my old castle,” Regina said, happy to know that her son didn’t see her as the Evil Queen anymore. That he was seeing the effort she’d been putting in to be the mother he wanted her to be… the mother he deserved. “…or rather … ours, mine and Snow’s, and now yours and Emma’s too,” she added, thinking about the prior conversation she’d had with said woman and her family. She felt a little discomfort to think that she was going to share the castle with her old nemesis and her daughter. She couldn’t understand if she was more uncomfortable with the idea of sharing it with Snow or with Emma.

“Oh yes, I can’t wait to see it! Since I found out that what was written in the book was true I’ve dreamt about living in a castle, learn how to ride a horse and how to swordplay.” Henry said those even things to David when Emma and Snow had fallen through the portal and ended in the Enchanted Forest. At that time he couldn’t imagine he would share those same feelings with his adoptive mother. But now he was happy to do so, because he knew his mother loved him. She proved it to him, putting aside all of her dislike for his birth family and working together to save him from Peter Pan.

“You know, when I was your age I started riding myself too,” Regina replied to him, thinking back to her childhood with a glint in her eyes, “If you want, I can teach you once we’re at the castle.” she continued.

“That’d be great. Grandpa started to teach me back in Storybrooke but I think he wouldn't mind if you do it now, instead. I mean, he can still teach me other stuff, and you and I can spend some time together the way we used to when I was little,” he told her with a smile so wide that Regina thought her heart could melt.

“That would be amazing Henry,” she replied to him trying to hold tears of joy in the back of her eyes.

 

~.~.~ ~.~.~ ~.~.~~.~.~

 

“Hey girls, what are you talking about?” David asked Emma and Snow.

“Just about some girl stuff.” Snow answered her husband, giving a knowing look to her daughter.

“Oh well, I’m sorry to interrupt you then,” he apologised. 

“Don’t worry, dear. What did you want?” the brunette asked him. 

“Just to know if everything was all right,” he replied. 

“It is, so stop asking me that.” Emma was tired of her parents always checking on her, always wanting to know what she was thinking and treating her as if she needed babysitting. “I’m trying to get used to the idea that we’re here to stay, forever, but you two keep asking me if I’m okay every two seconds doesn’t help.”

“I’m sorry honey, we were just worried, we know you don’t want to live here for the rest of your life.” Snow was trying to apologise for their apprehension while explaining to her daughter their feelings, “but this is our world and we just want to know if you’re worried or something… we want you to come to us for advice or anything.”

“I get it guys. Really. And if I need help or advice or anything I’ll come to you. I promise.” The blonde could understand her parent’s feelings, she just wasn’t used to having people worry about her, let alone her parents. 

“Actually, there is something bothering me,” Emma started to say after a while, “It’s about Aurora and Philip… it was like they were holding something back, like they weren’t telling us something,” she continued, expressing her concerns as her parents had asked her to.

“Emma, do you think that after all what we’ve being through, Aurora would actually hide something from us?” Snow asked.

“I don’t know. What I do know is that something was off, and I can’t help but worry that something is going to happen… something bad.” The blonde stated.

“Well even if you’re right we’ll deal with it. Like we always do,” said David, confident.

“That’s what worries me. Here there will always be something to deal with, some danger to face. I don’t want Henry to be in danger.”

“I get it, Emma, but there always will be some danger to face, even back in Storybrooke we weren’t safe. Peter Pan found a way to kidnap Henry there and bring him to Neverland, this is our life. We didn’t choose it and we can’t change it. What we can do, is keep living it, make the best of it, fight all the battles we have to, to finally be happy together in the end.” 

There was truth in what Snow said, Emma knew it, but that didn’t make her feel better. Not now anyway.

“Yeah, I know that. I’ll just have to get used to it, it’s still kinda new to me.” The blonde replied. “Let’s change subject, shall we? Where’s Hook? What did he say to you before taking off?” she asked her father, not because she wanted to know the answers to those questions but because she wanted to change subject.

“Oh, he said he wanted to find his ship, ‘cause it’s his home. And if he can’t find the Jolly Roger he’ll find another,” David repeated what Hook had said to him before leaving.

“Yeah, because that’s what pirates do, he said” Snow added. “Are you worried about him? I mean you two got pretty close in Neverland,” she continued with a smirk directed to her daughter, thinking about the kiss they shared.

“Not really, I’m just not sure yet if we can trust him,” Emma said honestly, “I mean he did help us to find and save Henry, he helped us to stop Pan. But he tried to stop us from getting back to Henry, too, the first time we get here through Jefferson’s hat, and he helped Greg Mendell and Tamara to kidnap him in the first place. If it wasn’t for him they wouldn’t have stolen the beans from Regina, whom he helped them torture, by the way.” 

“That’s true, but he saved my life too, and he didn’t have to do that. He could have let me die, he didn’t gain anything by saving my life… and for that, I think we can trust him.” David felt the need to defend the man who couldn’t do that for himself.

Emma knew the real reason for the act her father just mentioned. Hook did save his life to gain something: points with Emma, or at least that was what he was hoping for. That much was sure since he couldn’t help but kiss her just after her father told them how heroically Hook saved his life, risking his own - even if that story was made up. She wasn’t expecting him to kiss her, and he did saved her father’s life, that’s why she kissed him back, kinda like a reward for what he did, but she didn’t enjoyed the kiss. She was hoping to tell him that but then they found out that Neal was still alive and Hook thought that she still had feelings for him, and she let him, that was better than telling him the truth. 

“Well you may trust him, but I’ll need some other proof to do the same,” she told her father, with a steady tone that wouldn’t allow any other word about the subject.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is the new chapter. Thanks to everybody for all the kudos, subscriptions and the comments. It really is nice to know that someone like my work.
> 
> As always thanks to my amazing beta Nighttimeroaming for going over my work and I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

“Hey guys,” Emma chimed in the conversation that Henry and Regina were having. “How’re things with you two?”

“Hey Emma, everything is amazing!” Henry responded, brightly.

“Miss Swan,” acknowledged Regina, “Is there something that you need?” her tone sharp as always.

“Why, whenever I’m nice to you, do you always think that I want something?”

“Because you usually do.” The brunette pointed out.

“Well, maybe, but not this time,” she smiled. “I really just want to know if you’re ok.”

“Ok then, considering that you and your parents convinced me to let you stay at my castle, I’m doing just fine. Thank you.” 

“Ehm… excuse me, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Regina, Emma and Henry turn back at the same time. It was Neal who spoke, and he seemed embarrassed, “but I need to speak to Emma and Henry about… something,” he said, looking at Regina. Henry was looking at his father with bright eyes, he could see in his father eyes that he was still sad about what happened to Mr Gold, and he knew that if something like that was to happen to his own dad he would want someone to hug him, so that’s what he did. Neal was surprised for his son action at first, but after a couple of second he was happy for the gesture and exchanged the hug.

“It seems important,” the blonde stated. “Can you excuse us, Regina?”

“Very well, I’ll let you three talk, then.” the Queen said, there was something strange in her voice, it wasn’t as stiff as always. With an imperceptible sigh she left the three to talk.

“So, what is it that you need to tell us?” Emma asked the man.

“It’s not easy,” he started, “but I will not stay for long at the Queen’s castle with you.” It seemed that it pained him to say those words.

“Are you serious? Why not dad?” Henry was really sad, and surprised, to hear that his dad wouldn’t be with them.

“Yeah, why?” Emma echoed her son.

“It’s because of my father.”

“But he’s dead.” the boy observed.

“Yes, I know kid, but Belle and I think that maybe there is a way to bring him back at his castle. And if there is, I have to try.” Neal was looking at Emma and his son with eyes full of emotion. “He might have been an evil person in the past, but in the end he was good… he did the right thing and he sacrificed himself for all of us.” Now he was almost crying, Emma could see he was trying to keep the tears from falling.

“I understand,” she said to him, “and if there is something you can do to bring him back you should try.” She placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Thank you, Emma,” he rested his hand on top of hers.

“I think you should do it too, dad,” Henry said, supporting his father. “Everybody needs their dad, even you, dad. I just wish we could spend some time together as a family, now.”

“I know Henry, but we will when I get back. I promise.” Now Neal’s hand was on Henry’s shoulder.  
The three of them kept walking together silently.

 

~.~.~

“Regina's castle's just beyond the mountains,” Snow told her husband.

“Snow, I think you mean _our_ castle,” he remarked.

“That's going to take some getting used to. The last time I was there was just after my father's death. And I've always dreamed of returning. I just never imagined it would be with Regina by our side,” she said, unbelievably. 

“I wouldn't count on that, sister.” Grumpy intervened. “The Queen... she's missing.” He gave them the news with a grave tone and the three of them sighed, simultaneously.

~.~.~

 

Henry was talking happily with his parents about all the things he’d like to do now that he was finally in the Enchanted Forest, he was even telling them about the plains he and Regina had made before.

Emma could see that her son was really excited about this all-new life, and even though she was still worried, she couldn’t help but feel happy for him anyway. Maybe it was, in part, because Regina made plans with Henry and they were exciting plans. She never imagined that Regina could ride a horse, but she probably should have, since the brunette was born in this world.

Emma was lost in her thoughts when suddenly she heard her name called, “Emma!” the girl saw her mother coming toward her, with a worried look on her face. “Mom, is something wrong? What happened?” she asked her, preoccupied.

“It’s Regina… she’s missing.” 

“Missing!?” Henry was clearly concerned for his mother.

“How can she be missing?” This time it was Emma asking the question.

“Grumpy just told us that… Wasn’t she talking with you just now?”

“Yes, she can’t be far. I’ll go looking for her,” the savoir stated and then left the three of them there.

~.~.~

Emma entered the woods on the side of the road they were travelling in. She was right, Regina wasn’t far from the rest of the group. She was walking towards her castle too, but she was walking slower then them. 

Emma thought she had something wrong. “Going for a walk?” she asked her.

“Miss Swan,” the Queen sighed, “I should’ve imagined this quiet wouldn’t have lasted long.”

“Sorry to intrude in your _alone time_ , but our son was worried for you… and so was I.”

“I’m sorry I made Henry worry for me, it wasn’t my intention. But I thought he wouldn’t even notice, since he was so delightedly talking with his happy family.” the older woman said bitterly.

“So this is the problem! You think that now that Neal is back and not engaged, he, Henry and me will be a happy family? Leaving you out?”

“Don’t you want that? After all, Mr Cassidy is your _True Love_ , isn’t he?” Regina spoke the words True Love as if the words tasted bad in her mouth. “And Henry is your son – even though I was the one who raised him – I don’t think he would want to share Henry with me.”

“Neal has nothing against you, Regina. You helped us save Henry and he’s grateful with you for that and Henry loves you, he wants _all_ of us to live together,” Emma said taking a few step closer to Regina. “And for the part about him being my _True Love_ , you know that he’s not.” Now Emma was only a few inches from the other woman.

“Oh, he is not?” the brunette asked, wryly.

“He isn’t. I do love him though, I always will, but not as a lover anymore. He’s the father of my son and my friend, he’s part of the family, but nothing more than that,” the blonde replied the Queen honestly.

“I think it’s time we talk about what happened in Neverland, Regina,” she said in the end.


	4. Chapter 4

_Back in Neverland_

"Focus. Concentrate." Regina was teaching Emma how to use her magic, quite ineffectively, and she was starting to lose her patience.

"It's kind of hard when you're talking in my ear." Emma was beginning to lose her cool, too.

"And when the wind blows or it's raining, or... someone's shooting arrows at you." Regina was walking around Emma now. "Yes, concentration's hard. That's the point. Find your anger and use it to focus."

"No. There has to be a way without going dark." The Savior argued.

"You're such a pathetic waste of ability." 

"And you're a monster."

"Smell that?" said the brunette, as she sniffed the air.

"What?" the blonde snapped back.

"Smoke," replied Regina pointing at the bonfire, where a small fire was taking light. Emma stepped close the bonfire and squatted down near it.

After a while, Hook returned and talked with Snow and David, whom after not too long left the camp with him to continue to talk without Emma and Regina hearing what they were saying.

"So, Miss Swan, we better go back to work." Regina was looking at Emma, who was bent over the fireplace.

"What? I just lit a fire, isn't that enough for today?" argued the younger woman.

"Oh, so the next time we're under attack you plan to light the fireplace for our enemy?" stated the Queen in a sassy tone, while standing up and pointing her hands at the fireplace.

"Well no. But I have other means to defend myself, even without magic."

"Oh yes, that knife you're carrying on your back. That will be very effective against arrows and Pan's magic." Regina began to raise her voice.

"Until now, I’ve managed just fine, and I have even dealt with you and your mother." The blonde was starting to raise her voice, too.

"And what will you do if you don't have your knife with you, hmm, Miss Swan? You'll rely on your parents to protect you?" Now the brunette was almost shouting. "Or your _pirate_?" she added, saying the word 'pirate' with what seemed almost like distaste to Emma.

"What's your problem? It's not like _you're_ going to protect _me_!" Emma’s voice was now matching Regina's tone.

"Oh, you got that right." Regina took a couple of steps in the other woman’s direction. "After all, you've already got your boyfriend for that." She said the last sentence with a callous voice.

"Why do you keep bringing Hook up?" asked the younger woman, perplexed, as she took a few steps towards the other one. "And he's _not_ my boyfriend." If Emma didn't know better she would say that Regina sounded almost jealous of the man.

"So you two kissed, but you're not a couple?"

"You… you saw?" exclaimed the blonde, taken aback. She’d thought that no one had seen the kiss between Hook and herself.

"Yes I saw. And I don't understand how you could kiss such a man."

"Well for the record he kissed me and-" Emma started to say.

"And you kissed him back." Regina finished for her.

"No, I mean yes, but only because he took me by surprise and he had just saved my father." She sounded as though she were trying to explain her actions to herself. "And what do _you_ care anyway?"

"I don’t.” Replied the Queen, coldly.

"No, no, no. Something's up with you and I want to know what!" demanded the blonde.

"You really don't know?" 

"Know what? That you're erratic? Yeah I pretty much knew tha-" Emma started saying but she was cut off by the Queen, or rather by her lips. 

Shortly after Emma had started talking, Regina strode towards her, closing the little distance that remained between the two. She placed her hands on the other’s shoulders, drawing her closer and as soon as she was within reach she put her lips on Emma's, all in one smooth movement. She thought that the blonde might push her away, but to her great surprise, she exchanged her kiss, deepened it actually. 

Regina's hands started approaching Emma's neck, mimicked by Emma's right hand, while the other one was on her back. Emma's mouth opened a little and the Queen considered that an invitation to introduce her tongue. The Savior welcomed her and their tongues started to dance together.

They kept kissing until they needed to breathe. When they interrupted the kiss they looked each other in the eyes, silently catching their breath, for what seemed like hours. 

Regina was the one to interrupt the exchange first, looking in the direction where the parents of the girl in front of her should have been. She was relieved not to see them there, if they were then that moment would have been very embarrassing.

"Where are the two idiots?" she asked Emma, trying to change subject, not wonting to talk about what had just happened.

"Wha-? Who?" the blonde mumbled, "Oh, my parents… They're not here." She said turning around with relief, but then she started to worry. "Right. Where are they?"

"I think they left with the pirate."

"Let's look for them then." She said, and then she started walking in the direction her parents had been sitting, followed by Regina.

 

_Present_

"I think it's time we talk about what happened in Neverland, Regina." Emma said.

"Do we have to, Miss Swan?" Regina asked, evidently not wanting to talk about that.

"Yes, we put it off long enough. We need to talk about it and I won’t accept no for an answer."

"Very well then, we may talk about what happened in Neverland." 

"Good… So, you kissed me, Regina." Emma was evidently embarrassed, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"Yes. And I remember you kissed me back," the older woman stated calmly.

"Yes… I did." 

"Did you do it for the same reason you kissed the pirate back in Neverland? Because it was a surprise?" Regina asked the other woman before she could add something else to her previous admission.

"Is that what you think!? No, I didn't do it for that reason, I did it because… because…"

"Because what, Miss Swan?" the brunette snapped at Emma.

"I don't know… I think… I might have feelings for you, that's why." revealed the blonde. "And why did _you_ kiss _me_ in the first place?"

"Do you _really_ need to ask?" Regina demanded bitterly.

"Well you made me say it. Now it's your turn!"

Regina sighed before responding, "Ok, I did it because..." the Queen began to finally tell Emma the reason behind the kiss, when "Did you hear that?" a rustling noise from a bush not far from them distracted the blonde. 

"What?" enquired the brunette.

"There was something there, in that bush." The Savior was pointing to the bush from where the noise was coming from. 

Regina approached the bush and looked in it, "There's nothing here." She said. "Unless it flew away."

Emma turned around, looking at the sky, "It did!" she shouted, as a shadowing form began looming in on them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recognize that maybe I could have finished this chapter in a better way, but you all know what the shadow is so I thought it ok to end it here XD
> 
> As always many thanks to my beta Nighttimeroaming.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to everyone!!!
> 
> I'm so very sorry that it took me so long to post the new chapter and I'm more sorry because it will take longer to post the next one.  
> But I hope you’ll like this chapter and thanks for the comments, the kudos and the subscriptions and as usual thanks to my beta.

Regina approached the bush and looked into it. “There's nothing here,” she said, “unless it flew away.”

Emma turned around, looking to the sky. “It did!” she shouted, as a shadowing form began to loom over them.

“Get away from there! We need to find cover!” A voice behind them shouted, suddenly, and the person who it belonged to started to run in their direction.

“Mum?” Emma was surprised to see her mother there, and she also began to wonder how much of her conversation with Regina, Snow had heard. But that question would have to wait until a later time. 

“No,” exclaimed Regina, “I don't run from monsters. They run from me,” and she summoned a fireball in her hand. She tried to hit the flying monster, but it was too fast and dodged it, right before lunching himself at her.

“Regina!” shouted both Emma and Snow, trying to duck from the monster, which, now that it was closer, appeared to be a monkey with wings. 

Unfortunately, the flying monkey was so fast that regardless of their attempt to evade its charge, it was still able to grab Regina’s arm and begin to drag her away. It had already lifted her some feet from the soil, when Emma and Snow jumped, grabbing Regina and freeing her from the seize of the beast, but in doing so the latter had scratched Regina’s arm.

“It's too fast!” stated Snow, while they were lifting themselves from the ground.

“Well, I'm open to suggestions,” exclaimed the Queen.

“Get down!” shouted a man’s voice from somewhere behind them. And then arrows where thrown against the flying monkey, and after being hit, it flew away. Snow and Regina remained sat on the ground, watching as the monster was leaving, while Emma was starting to get up.

“Milady,” the same man from before spoke again, and the three women turned back to see a blonde, handsome man, with green eyes, extending his hand to Regina, “You're injured.”

“It's _‘Your Majesty_ ’, and I'm fine,” replied the Queen, with a cynical tone.

“A simple _‘thank you’_ would suffice,” the man retorted.

“We didn't ask for your help.” Regina got up without taking the hand gently offered to her, but accepting the help Emma was offering instead, since she was already standing up beside her. 

“Well, _I'm_ grateful for the assistance,” said Snow, accepting instead the helping hand.

“Yes, thanks for the help,” came Emma’s gratitude too.

“Robin... Robin of Locksley,” the man presented himself, while helping Snow stand to her feet, “and these are a few of my merry men,” he finished, pointing in the direction where his band of outlaws were starting to gather around him. 

“Snow White, and this is my daughter, Emma.”

“At last we meet. You know, there was a time when our faces graced ‘wanted’ posters side-by-side,” was Robin’s response to her introduction.

“If you're really Snow White, why are you with her?” spoke a large, big man beside Robin.

“ _Her_? Show some respect...” of course Regina being a Queen couldn’t stand being called ‘her’, by some common peasant. “Or at least some restraint at the buffet,” she sated, once she had scrutinized the man.

“You'll have to excuse little John, but before you cursed this land, we spent many a day running from your black knights,” asserted Robin, irate with the Queen.

“Well, I'm sure you deserved it. What the hell was that thing?” asked Regina turning in the direction the monkey disappeared in, not long ago.

“I have no idea. We've never encountered the likes of it before.” Just after Robin finished speaking, a distant scream was heard.

“Come on. This way. We need to warn the others.” Snow started walking towards where the rest of the group was.

“Something tells me that this is what Aurora was keeping from us,” said Emma to Snow.

“Maybe you’re right. But we are almost at the castle. Once we’re there, we’ll think about what happened and decide what to do.”

~.~.~

“Mums!” shouted Henry as soon as he saw his mothers come out from the woods, and he ran to their arms, hugging them both, “I was so worried for you guys! You were gone for an awful lot time!” 

“We’re fine, kid,” Emma reassured her son, hugging him back.

“I’m sorry for letting you worry for us, Henry,” Regina was also hugging him.

“Glad to see you’re ok, Emma,” Neal greeted her, then he noticed the group of men coming out of the woods behind the three women, “Robin, it’s good to see you again.”

“You too, Baelfire,” replied the outlaw, recognising the man he had helped to get back to his family.

“You two know each other?” Snow asked them.

“Robin helped me to get to Neverland, when I landed here from the portal.”

“And were you able to find your son in Neverland?”

“Yes, you’re looking at him.” Neal pointed at Henry, then continued, “He’s my son, Henry.”

“Pleased to meet you, young boy. My name’s Robin of Locksley,” said Robin jovially to Henry, and then bowed slightly to him.

“You mean you’re Robin Hood?” asked the boy, surprised and joyful that he was meeting one of the most famous and legendary characters of his world.

“Yes, some call me that.” 

“Where’s David? We have some news to talk about,” Snow suddenly pointed out, she thought she had left enough time to her daughter to embrace her son again, and for him to make sure that his mothers were okay. 

~.~.~

After Snow found her husband, Emma, Regina and herself explained to him what had happened in the forest. They came to the same conclusion as Emma, which was that Aurora and Philip knew more than what they had told them and probably knew what the monster wanted, if it was controlled by someone, what, exactly, it was and possibly more. 

Nevertheless, they decided it was better to arrive at the castle, which wasn’t too far, and once there they’d think more about what to do. After all, they would have been more protected at the castle than in the middle of the woods.

After the decision was made, Emma returned to Henry to fill him in on what had happened, sure that he would find out anyway and it would be better if he heard it from her, first.

David proceeded to inform Grumpy, certain that telling him would be enough to let everybody know about the new threat. 

That left Snow and Regina alone. Regina was looking behind her, at Robin, whom was talking with Neal and Belle.

“So, what do you think of our new friend? Can we trust him? He is a thief,” enquired the Queen, with a condescending manner.

“Think of it from his perspective. How do you think he looks at you?”

“Point taken,” acknowledged Regina, then Snow chuckled and added, “He's kind of cute, huh?” looking at Regina convivially. 

“He smells like forest,” she replied with disdain. How could Snow really think that The Evil Queen would like a man like that? He was an outlaw and a peasant and the last time she checked, she was a Queen and a Mayor. He seemed like a good man, certainly, but a little full of himself and Regina didn’t like the latter trait of his personality, the pirate was an example of that. 

But of course the main reason she didn’t like him was because she already liked someone else, the daughter of the woman she was talking to right now, actually. 

That thought reminded her that Snow might have heard her conversation with Emma in the forest, she might have heard about the kiss they shared in Neverland and Emma’s confession and even her hesitation when the blond asked her about the reason for the kiss. But would Snow White act so casually if that were the case? Wouldn’t it be more like Snow to be upset or yell at her or Emma, for the kiss? So why was she chatting so cheerfully with her, which she had never done before now? Was she trying to be friendly with Regina because she now knew about Emma’s feeling for her? Or she could be in denial, maybe she didn’t want to accept that her daughter had feelings for her old nemesis, the woman who cast the curse that separated her from her husband, whom had been almost dead by the time the curse had brought them to Storybrooke. The curse that had caused them to abandon their daughter, who then had to grow up without a family and ended up being thrown from one foster family to another. 

_‘Those would be very good reasons to be in denial,’_ thought Regina. 

Then again, the most improbable of all the possibilities was that the woman didn’t actually hear anything, and she was just acting like herself. Trying to bond with Regina because she had finally proven that she had changed, or at least was trying to for Henry, and because they were going to live together under the same roof _‘like a family,’_ she surprised herself thinking.

“Regina,” the woman heard her calling her name, so she returned to reality and turned her head around to see who was calling her. It was Emma and she was walking towards them.

“Henry wants to talk to you,” the blonde started to say when she reached the two women, “I think he wants to make sure that you’re actually ok,” she finished with a smile.

“Ok then, I think I better go.” That said, she turned and started walking towards Henry, but not before exchanging a tender look with Emma.

“So, what were you doing in the forest?” Emma asked her mother as soon as Regina was gone.

“I was looking for you. I was worried.”

“And…” Emma started, hesitant. She wanted to know if her mother had heard her conversation with Regina, but she didn’t really know how to ask her without raising any suspicion.

“How long where you there before shouting that we needed to run?” It wasn’t a really devious question, but Emma couldn’t think of any other way to ask. 

“Not long, I just got there when I saw that monkey-like monster coming out of the bushes. I heard you two talking, but I couldn’t hear what you were talking about,” the brunette responded, she was sincere she had just heard the last couple of sentences. “What were you talking about? What had Regina done? Did she so something to you?”

“What?” Emma was astonished, she couldn’t actually believed her mother had heard them talking about the kiss, and now she was asking what Regina had done to her. Did she think that Regina used some kind of spell to make Emma fall for her?

“I heard her saying ‘I did it because’ after you asked her something and before being interrupted,” continued Snow, since she could tell her daughter was acting strange, kinda like she was scared by her question. 

_‘Is she hiding something? What they were talking about for her to react like that?’_ she thought. 

“Oh, that.” The blonde sighed. She was relieved that her mother heard just from that point onwards and not a couple of sentences before. But now she had to think about something to tell her.  
“I asked her why she walked away from us without saying anything. She didn’t want to answer at first, I had to insist, she was finally telling me the reason when we were interrupted.”

“I understand,” replied the brunette, she wasn’t sure that her daughter had said everything, but decided she wouldn’t investigate further. Not at the moment at least.

Not long after the conversation between Emma and Snow, David joined them at the head of the line of people heading towards the castle. David informed them that he talked with Grumpy and that he had proceeded to inform him of what had happened in the woods, now everyone was paying attention to their surroundings, not wanting to be taken by surprise by the thing that had attacked Regina, Emma and Snow in the forest.

At the point that the castle became visible in the distance, David noticed something on the ground, like a boundary line that delimited the area around the castle.

“Look,” he exclaimed.

“What happened?” asked Snow.

“That's exactly what I'm about to find out,” Regina said, after catching up with them and proceeding to examine the line. She raised a hand and placed it in the air above the line, which started to glow in a green light. She knew what that was. “A protection spell... the entire castle's encircled by it,” she stated.

“Didn't you do this? Undo it,” ordered David, speaking like the prince he was. Emma couldn’t help but think that her father sometimes was a little too demanding and brute, especially with the Queen.

 _‘I wonder how he would react if he knew what Regina and I had been talking about when we were alone,’_ she thought with a smug expression, which she tried to hide immediately.

“Well, don't you think if I could, I'd be halfway home by now?” replied Regina, walking back to where the other stopped, “No. Someone hijacked it.”

“Who? Who's in there?” asked Snow White again, worried.

“I don't know, but I'm gonna find out whoever's eating my porridge. _Nobody_ sits in my chair. _Nobody_ takes our castle,” threatened the Queen, choleric.

“Hey,” David interrupted her, “We've got a lot of people looking to us. They're scared, and rightfully so. Let's get them to safety first.”

“They'll be safe when whoever's in there is dead,” retorted Regina.

“Rushing in there is a bad plan, Regina. You know that.” Snow tried to calm the Queen.

“She’s right, Regina. We need to think of a better plan first, one that won’t kill us, possibly,” Emma chimed in, “We need to find a place where we can rest, where the others are safe, while we’ll try to get the castle back. Once we’ve found that place, we’ll think of a plan” 

“I can offer safe harbour in Sherwood Forest. It's not far. We can offer food, shelter, and a thick canopy no creature will spy you under,” offered Robin, kindly.

“Do you have weapons?” David wanted to know.

“We're loaded with them.”

“Fine. Lead the way. But we're coming back. And whoever did this... is going to suffer.” Regina decided to conform with the general opinion. Actually she realised that they were right, rushing into the castle without a plan wasn’t going to help anybody, and she had to make sure Henry was safe. But she still had no intention of letting whoever had taken the castle keep it for long. 

“Regina, it's our home. We'll make it safe again,” stated Snow, resolutely. 

And so they started to walk in the direction of Sherwood Forest.


End file.
